Dispensing apparatus mechanism for shifting articles from storage to discharge position



March 24, 1970 RAlNEY DISPENSING APPARATUS MECHANISM FOR SHIFTING ARTIcL FROM STORAGE To DISCHARGE POSITION Filed 001;. 8, 1968 INVENTOR DON E. RAINEY United States Patent 3,502,382 DISPENSING APPARATUS MECHANISM FOR SHIFTING ARTICLES FROM STORAGE TO DISCHARGE POSITION Don E. Rainey, East Pompano Beach, Fla., assignor of forty-six percent to Don E. Rainey, fourteen and onehalf percent to Melvin E. Hopstetter, twenty-three and one-half percent to Albert Florio, Americo Florio and George F. Florio, as co-tenants, one percent to Rufus H. NeSmith, five percent to John Serlo, all of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., two percent to Alfred F. Hall, six percent to A. J. Musselman, Jr., both of Pompano Beach, Fla., and two percent to Henry Grannemann, Deerfield Beach, Fla.

Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 614,768, Jan. 18, 1967, now Patent No. 3,433,545. This application Oct. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 765,936

Int. Cl. A47f 1/00 US. Cl. 31242 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Improved substantially L-shaped transposer means pivotally supported for shifting articles from a vertical storage chute onto a downwardly inclined discharge trackway, the said transposer means having an arcuate camming surface in lieu of a spring for returning it from inclined article discharge position to normal horizontal article engaging position.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 614,768 filed Jan. 18, 1967, now patent No. 3,433,545.

In the said application there is disclosed and claimed a transposer means pivotally supported at the lower end of a vertically arranged chute for receiving the articles to be dispensed in stacked horizontal storage position. Such transposer means is for the purpose of shifting the lowermost article in the chute from its horizontal position to downwardly inclined position in a communicating downwardly inclined dispensing trackway. Such transposer means in its specific form as shown in the said application is L-shaped in cross section and spring pressed so that the article receiving shelf portion is normally disposed in horizontal position below the adjacent horizontally stacked article and is adapted to be urged downwardly by the weight of the article against the spring pressure into downwardly inclined position to shift the article into the downwardly inclined dispensing trackway.

It is the purpose of the present invention to simplify the construction and arrangement of such transposer means, particularly by eliminating the need for a spring element, and, in lieu thereof, to provide an upwardly extending arcuate arm with its forward lower surface being in substantial alignment with the forward upright surface of the L-shaped transposer element and terminating in a rearwardly extending curved portion. As an article is discharge from the chute into downwardly inclined position by the transposer element, the rearward edge of the above next adjacent article slidably engages the arcuate arm which then functions as a camming surface to force the shelf portion of the L-shaped transposer back into its normal horizontal position for engagement with the said above next adjacent article.

The simple mechanical improvement of the present invention therefore eliminates any need for a spring means and any concomitant need for adjustment or replacement thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the principles thereof is selected for exemplification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of article receiving chutes and communicating downwardly inclined dispensing trackways showing the transposer means of the present invention pivotally supported at the lower end of each chute, it being understood that the chute and trackway are usually housed within a cabinet structure and arranged in multiples as desired; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the transposer means shown in FIG. 1 with the chute and its supporting structure indicated in fragment.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, the upright frame elements 10 define the vertically arranged chutes indicated in their entireties by the numeral 12. The frame elements 14 define the communicating downwardly inclined dispensing trackways indicated in their entireties by the numeral 16. The articles stored and adapted to be dispensed are designated at A, it being understood that they may be in the form of packages, containers or devices of any adaptable kind or configuration.

The transposer means characterized by the present invention comprises a substantially L-shaped element 18 pivotally supported at the lower end portion of each of the vertical chutes 12 in any suitable manner such as upon the cross-bar 20 extending between adjacent upright frame elements 10. A rearwardly extending shank or hinge 22 in loose engagement with the cross bar may provide such pivotal support or hanging means. Collars or spacers 23 at opposed sides of the hinged element 18 maintain it in position centrally of the chute 12.

A rearwardly curving arcuate arm 24 extends upwardly of the upright leg of the transposer element 18 and, preferably, the forward lower surface of the arm 24 is in substantial alignment with the forward upright surface of the transposer element 18. As will be apparent from the right-hand portion of FIG. 1, when the transposer element 18 is tilted to dicharge an article onto the trackway 14 in downwardly inclined position, the rearward edge of the above next adjacent article slidably en gages the arcuate arm 24 which then functions as a camming surface to force the transposer back into its normal horizontal position to receive the said article as shown in the lefthand portion of FIG. 1.

Ribs 26 or other friction surface may be provided at the angle portion of the transposer 18 to assist in holding the rear end portion of an article A when it is in engagement with the lateral leg or shelf portion of the transposer. The opposed upright frame elements 10 at the forward ends of the articles A will, of course, act as abutments to restrict any undesired forward movement of the articles A prior to their discharge onto the downwardly inclined trackways 14.

It will thus be apparent that the present invention constitutes a very simple but highly practical and efiicient improvement over the corresponding structure specifically shown in the parent application.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not confined to the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described but embraces all such modifications thereof as may come within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Vending apparatus for storing and dispensing articles which comprises,

a vertically arranged chute for receiving the articles in vertically stacked horizontal storage position;

a downwardly inclined trackway communicating with said chute for sliding dispensing movement of said articles;

3 substantially L-shaped transposer means pivotally supported at the lower end of said chute to shift the lowermost article in the chute from horizontal position to downwardly inclined discharge position in said trackway; and

the said transposer means including an upwardly and rearwardly extending arcuate surface for sliding engagement with a rearward end portion of the next lowermost article for camming action against said arcuate surface to return said transposer means from downwardly inclined article discharge position to normal horizontal article engaging position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the chute and trackway are arranged in multiples and a transposer means is provided at the lower end of each chute.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the arcuate surface is carried by an arm extending upwardly and rearwardly of the upright leg of the L-shaped transposer means.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the forward surfaces of the arm and upright leg are in substantial References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,261,654 11/1941 Livengood 221-200 STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 221251 

